Self Effectual Dragon Rising
by Darka Silvath
Summary: Now I know referring to myself as a Dragon may seem a mite condescending, but know that this story will be a fair account of my travels through the DA verse and I promise not to embellish or exaggerate my activities, or damage the plot as a Mary Sue styled character, even though I can turn into one awesome dragon!
1. Prologue

Laughter.

That was the first sound I heard upon awakening, groggily I tried to make out my surroundings to no avail. Everything had a blurry gleam to it, It seemed I was in some sort of sandy area with high hills and floating purple islands…

Wait a second…

Oh I'm still dreaming never mind, everyone has had this happen to them at least once in their life. Thought they work up to discover they hadn't quite made it yet.

"Hahaha, another one falls to Pride! That makes my total of 14 harrowed mages this year Rage, hahahah!" Oh great I was dreaming of Dragon Age again, the downside of immersing yourself in the gaming experience was that depending on how much time you spent in the game the more likely elements of it would follow you into your dreams.

The laughing was getting a little irritating though so I asked the Demons to shut up and stop gloating as it was annoying me. Ah, utter silence.

Well till the screams started.

* * *

Okay it might have been my fault, but how was I supposed to know that I was playing the role of Solana Amell in my dream and that the Pride demon had just possessed and consumed said soul of said mage. Therefore it might have come as a bit of a shock to said Demons when said Mage had spoken from Pride's own possessed mouth and told the gloaters to shut up and let me get some quite.

Turns out Demons don't like their possessed bodies answering back when they've already had said souls torn out.

Still after the screams of shock wore out and Pride desperately tried to throw himself out of the body he'd just possessed, Sloth the only calm one there lumbered up to see what all the noise was about. While Pride or 'Mouse' as he liked to introduce himself (to seem harmless) ran away screaming about the Makers Wrath, Sloth and I started up a nice chat about Riddles, and how many different puns we knew that could be used to annoy people.

Still after a while my headache got a heck of a lot worse and then I felt myself waking up – again – hopefully for real this time, as though the dream had been amusing there is no way I'd want to be stuck somewhere without toilets or hygiene regulations or environmental health officers (rat catchers).

So I must say I was a bit miffed when I heard the words "Average speed for a Harrowing, Irving – I honestly don't see what you see in this Mage."

Well can I kindly just say 'fuck you, fuck you and the Dragon you road on.'

* * *

Of course as indicated by the thought marks I didn't actually come out and say that, cause as much as I'm moaning I am enjoying parts of this dream, everyone enjoys a good fic once in a while that shows the character pointing out minor flaws that with a little correction would make everyone's lives easier (but spoil the plot and destroy the point in playing the game). But I'm not planning on being here that long (this being a dream and all), heh. So if I make a few minor _tweaks_ to the direction the stories been taking who could deny me that, BWHHHAHAHAHAHA! Errrmm..ehem.

Still I pretended to be asleep on the way down from the big ass chamber near the roof of the tower as I was pretty certain all the mages were asleep when they return from meeting, Mouse, Valor, Sloth, Rage a few weird spirit wolves and floating balls of cotton-candy. The Magic Knight carrying me – er sorry 'Templar' – was Cullen, at least I hope it was Cullen because my new breasts got felt up twice and the body I was being held against was _definitely_ male.

I really don't want to imagine the Knight Commander of this Tower touching me up, just eww!

I did manage to get some sleep in the end after being deposited on my bed, well Amell's bed, in the pre-apprentice quarters. The Magic Knight took one last grope and I took a peak as he left, slightly happy to notice it was Ser Rylock the Magic Knight Anders seduced to escape the tower on his final successful attempt, guess it wasn't so hard for him if she's one of the Magic Knights who '_likes_' mages.

My wonderful sleep was interrupted twice by Jowan desperately wanting to know the What, Where and how of the Harrowing, so to have some fun with him – and hopefully start up some rumours – I started turning over and groping at my pillow. Mumbling "Oh right there, yes _Ser Rylock_, punish me." or something to that extent.

Needless to say when Jowan finally got me _awake_, the dorm room was suspiciously full of nearly every mage in the tower all looking at me with wide eyes, huge blushes and a few with gigantic grins. Thank god Irving isn't here I think I might have died of embarrassment, Jowan was supposed to spread the rumours that and the two chatty mages you see in the dorms every time you enter. Well except when the tower is under siege by Demons but I didn't count that.

"What?" I tried to plaster a totally puzzled expression on my face, I think it worked from the amount of giggling I received in reply. Well that and as I left the room the "Cullen's going to be so _disappointed_, Rylock got there first." And the whispered reply, "Well at least that means _he's_ probably going to be _available_ now right?" Gee thanks girls.

Still with my rumour successfully started I set out to go move to my new quarters, Jowan rushed to me and obviously flustered by recent events blurted out "What was the harrowing like," figuring it couldn't hurt and I was planning to escape anyway over the course of the next hour my reply was less than tactful. "I had to get sent into the fade to have sex with a Desire Demon and resist letting them possess me afterwards when I was exhausted from the Orgasms."

His gob smacked face was hilarious, not to mention the other apprentices going red (obviously their harrowing's had been nothing of the sort, or they were alarmed I was just stating what I thought I was expected to do on my harrowing in front of so many witnesses.

"I'll admit it nearly had me in the end when it changed into Ser Rylo- er a person I _know_, and told me it needed to 'cum inside me' or something like that.." There was a thump, apparently Godwin had just fainted from shock, hope he doesn't get possessed in his laxity.

* * *

Jowan cornered me pretty quickly after having a frantic chat with Lily who refused to let him take his harrowing and demanded they escape together as they was no way she was letting 'her man' have sex with anyone else except her, let alone a Demon. No offence intended to me apparently.

While I was meant to be getting hold of a rod off fire I found an empty book with a tree on in, and a book with a picture of a past Arch-Demon filled to the brim with a language I couldn't read, so after borrowing a bit of flour and milk from the kitchens I set about making myself some glue. Learning how to make glue (properly – the way they used to make it, before it was decided that it was too dangerous having glue that actually stuck to things, as people could sniff it and get high) was the most useful thing my Secondary Schools Science Teacher taught us, Thank you again Mrs Reynolds.

So after adding a bit of Lyrium to the mixture for luck I dubbed my 'Magic Glue' quite literally over the covers to re-seal them after I swapped the contents of the books over. If I'm going to have a Journal then 'it's not having a sodding tree' on its cover as good old Oghren would say.

I was meant to be getting a rod of fire, but since I know it doesn't work I just picked up an ordinary broom snapped its end off and walked down to see the forbidden couple. Honestly they hadn't moved from the Chantry, and I'd been gone for hours. If someone didn't suspect their relationship before now well they probably do now. We descended into the vault and low and behold we couldn't get through the second door, so I stood to the side where I remembered their being just wall and through a stone fist spell at the wall with all my might.

The explosion of stone probably alerted the tower to what we were up to but as I knew from history or is it foreknowledge? Meh, never mind, anyway as I knew the Magic Knights and our _beloved_ First Enchanter were waiting outside, a bit of noise it didn't really matter. Still Lilly spent a few minutes moaning about how evil magic was, before consoling Jowan that she still loved him 'even though, he was a _Mage_.'

He dropped his vial to the ground, (the defences hadn't been set off because technically we entered from the entrance) I set about implementing the next stage of my plan, "Jowan are you sure that was your Phylactery, I mean without blood magic how can you tell?" He really did look caught off guard, Lilly looked horrified, the blood mage (who we all know gets faint at the sight of blood) started blubbering before I leapt in and saved him, "Your just guessing that's the most recent, right, since it's on the table?"

I was afraid his head would fall off with all the frantic nodding he was doing; his really _loyal_ lover stopped backing away from him and started inching subtly closer again as if she had never left. "Er, yes that's exactly it!" With an evil grin now on my – er Sol's – face I nodded to the pair, "It's okay Jowan, I've got a solution." With that I held up my hand and grinning broadly started summoning an area-burst-fireball.

I'm guessing from his expression and widening eyes he caught on pretty quickly, as he grabbed Lilly and ran at full tilt down the stairs and up out of the chamber, not even bothering to stay and watch the show. With a shrug I lobbed the fireball at the shelves before letting off a torrent of fire from my hands as I backed away before running to escape the explosion of glass as the Phylactery chamber disappeared under wave upon wave of fire.

When I reached the stairs back up to the landing Jowan was giving me an incredulous look and his little lover was glaring at me in a mixture of terror and anger. Luckily for me I had gotten good at blotting out moaning from my days at Private School (lots of rich kids moan when they don't get their way, actually not just kids) so the next major event we come to was the hissy fit from the leader of this Circles Magic Knights.

After the conversation went on for a bit, Lily started backing away and Jowan stabbed himself and then thrust his blood out in a paralysing spell, to this day I'm not sure if he just fucked up a blood magic haemorrhaging spell or he really did invent a harmless blood magic stunning spell.

Still instead of standing there like a ninny I raced after Jowan and arrived just as he'd finished clobbering the Magic Knights on duty into submission, taking a moment to giggle, I pushed him out the doors and onto the dock where one of the spare boats was tied up. The rope was quickly cut with Jowan's knife and with a fire torrent launched from my hands under the water our vessel sped motor boat style away from the tower.

We stopped briefly at the tavern where Jowan took the time with the little coin he had to drink himself stupid, he _really_ doesn't think these things through. I had no intention of sticking around with his inept arse so I wrote him a note and then scarpered for the Ammmer's-something Coast. Luckily I ran across quite a few bandits on route, so I was rich enough to afford the voyage to Kirkwall by the time I got to the Docks.

Since the Kings Army hadn't been destroyed yet the prices for travel hadn't risen so I got a good deal. I was a bit miffed to find my good deal was because I'd gotten on a Tevinter Slave Vessel, and they expected to enslave the passengers before heading back to their homeland to sell us. Pity for them I was on board, more's the pity that a fair deal of them couldn't seem to swim, and those that could quickly found it is possible to be set on fire while desperately treading salty water, trying to stay afloat.

Still the now rescued passengers needed to get where they were going so in exchange for freeing them they agreed to crew the ship for me to get me to Kirkwall before heading to their various locations the Tevinter's had lied and promised to get them too. I settled down and began to record all or this in my Journal which I thus forth christen, The Chronicles of the Dragon Lord! Hah that sounds totally awesome.

Now I know referring to myself as a Dragon may seem a mite condescending, but know that this Journal will give you all a fair account of my travels through the Dragon Age verse and I promise not to embellish or exaggerate my activities fear not. Anyway, bar escaping from the tower and setting the Phylactery chamber on fire (no more ways to track non-apprentice mages through blood magic, until the Magic Knights make a new collection).

No Grey Warden turned up to collect me and since Amell was going to die in her harrowing anyway it's pretty obvious the Hero of Ferelden is from another part of the country so I'm doing the sensible thing. Fuck waiting around to fight the Blight and get turned into a Grey Warden, I'm getting out of here and going to Kirkwall to get an in with Merrill who will hopefully be receptive of my knowledge regarding Eluvians' and more inclined to later introduce me to Hawke.

I mean why would I want to stay somewhere that I could get attacked by Darkspawn at any minute when I could go somewhere I'd only have to kill ordinary weak people for a year and a bit at most?

-0-


	2. Chapter 1 : Dalish?

Chapter 1. Dalish?

When I arrived in Kirkwall I figured I could just nip off to Sundermount, kill a few bandits or undead via fireball and make good friends with the Dalish. What I'd failed to realise is that to get to Sundermount I had to pass _through_ Kirkwall!

That was something they'd failed to mention in the game, I mean I'd just assumed I could get to the city walk around the outside and get to the mountain area pretty quickly (well hours walk anyhow). First I'd have to enter the gallows, luckily for me the Magic Knights were about as oblivious of me as they are of Hawke whenever he/she uses Magic to kill people in broad daylight outside where the Kirkwall Circle is kept.

Still the guards weren't keen to let anyone into the city without money, I considered handing over my gold but then I got a more practical idea. I used two burst-fireballs combined with two lighter fire-torrents and pushed myself up. I have to say I was expecting to fly up and over the wall with little problem, I was not expecting to fly a little over 4 meters in the air before the spells ended and I plummeted painfully back to earth (well stone).

Still I feel vindicated that after a dozen or so tries I could successfully hover at a 3 meter standstill, even if I couldn't get any higher. I had stopped to rest and replenish my mana when I was interrupted from my efforts by an amused sounding cough.

"errchem." Followed by a tap on my shoulders with one metal plated finger. I have to admit I winced; I had got a bit distracted in my experimenting and forgotten that there were Magic Knight patrols circling, some of which might be more competent than the majority of Kirkwall's occupants. Turning my suspicions were confirmed by the amused collection of Magic Knights standing right behind me.

"You know in all my years as a Templar, I have never seen an Apostate trying to break their way into the Gallows." A chuckle followed his statement, "Did you think we wouldn't notice when we found we had an extra mage one day?" I was a little miffed at that but then I had a brilliant idea.

"Er.. kinda?"

Okay so the idea seemed brilliant at the time, the Magic Knight seemed to be impressed though – well that or he thought the situation was hilarious – he beckoned his surrounding comrades to move and gestured to me to follow them. Hey if the idiots want to escort me safely inside Kirkwall who am I to oppose them, besides I can always escape later. Escaping from Ferelden's Circle wasn't too difficult, and I didn't have a chance to knick very much maybe I'll have a better chance here?

* * *

The Gallows was pretty depressing, so I decided to paint it pink and yellow before I escape. The Dalish can wait for a few more weeks anyway, still I was introduced to Meredith who went on about how good it was too see an Apostate turning herself in because she realised the danger she was in. I spent the entire meeting looking at her with star-struck eyes with my hands clasped together and sitting forward on the seat that had been provided.

I think '_Operation: Pretend to Have a Crush on Meredith_' was working because the Knight Commander was blushing a great deal by the end of her speech that had been getting more and more heated as it progressed. When it was time for me to leave and head to my new quarters, and the Magic Knight who'd brought me in hear asked if I had any questions I hesitated cocking my head to one side in a puzzled expression, secretly waiting until Meredith was picking up a cup of water, before asking "Are you single?"

Exactly as I predicted the water went the wrong way and she was thrust into a coughing fit, I was hurriedly exited from the office by a now rather nervous Magic Knight and escorted to the Gallows commons to be introduced as a new mage, of the Kirkwall Circle.

I was greeted with much more enthusiasm than I expected, I suppose it was because they'd heard of me trying to break into the Gallows already, the grapevine had probably distorted the facts a tad and my real purpose of testing my ability in flight hadn't been known obviously but the general gist had gotten through. I was asked my name and I figured that rather than giving Sol's name I should stick to my own, then I realised that giving her name would cause even _more_ chaos so I gave that instead.

Apparently the Amell's weren't remembered all that well as a noble family but Gamlen's ways were, thus prompting a few queries as to my parentage. Obviously some thought that Gamlen had been hiding me and using me in his various money making ventures. Still after the shock of a new Mage (adult sized) had worn off the queries about the outside world came and the Magic Knights _conveniently_ appeared to break up the conglomeration of attendees.

Still I was escorted to my room – a single cell - filled with a quadruple of beds, my roommates were all chatty at first but when the bell for lights out sounded they started getting quieter, then whimpering and silent sobbing started. One of them whispered to me, "..don't _resist_, it'll hurt _more_." Well that sounded a mite discomforting, I'd heard the rumours while playing the game and it was implied that the Magic Knights took liberties with the Mages under their care but I hadn't ever thought I'd be on the receiving end of it.

The jokes I'd made about Ser Rylock and the implications I'd shown my new Knight Commander suddenly seemed a little more worrying and a little more serious than simple pranks. What if the Magic Knights on patrol tonight didn't think it was a joke, what if they thought I was 'open-for-business' if you'll excuse the vernacular.

Sighs of relief came from my rooms companions as the sound of the gate door next to our cell opened and the sobbing from there intensified. Well I don't mind telling you I'd had enough, I got up and with one stone-fist spell opened a hole in the wall. I was just in time to see a group of Magic Knights holding down one of the mages while the others cowered in the corner of the cell. I don't think I have any real reason to go into greater detail as my disgust (and I'm sure yours too) took hold but let's just say when I was done and had to escape the Gallows a little earlier than was planned, I was not only exhausted but the Magic Knight population had been reduced by ¾ of its original size.

* * *

This didn't seem so fun anymore, when I wanted to fix the issues of this world I forgot that all actions have consequences so felt by me and some by others. Dream or no I felt I needed to make a differences, just siding with the mages was a recipe for disaster, it would just bring the Tevinter Imperium one step closer to Thedas domination. Siding with the Magic Knights would allow the practises of depravity that had been escalating since the founding of the Chantry to continue.

I was stuck between a fireball and a sword.

What I needed was to relax for a bit, so I went out and killed some Coterie thugs, that got me some coins which I went to a supplier in Lowtown and traded my bronze pieces into silver and then silver into gold. In the game once you get a certain amount of silver pieces they magically turn into a Sovereign so you don't have to carry around an increasing number of little coins, for me I had to go and get them traded, apparently there is also a 20% interest rate on trading though by making my eyes glow red and growling I ended up with a 2% interest rate, which I was a lot happier about.

Still I wasn't exactly a rich man – or woman considering who's body I was in – so I needed a little more coin before heading off, just because I was planning to get an in with the Dalish didn't mean I wanted to live somewhere with no toiletries. Anders clinic was currently the main base of operations for the slavers that Gamlen was going to sell off his estate to, so sadly I couldn't just kill them all, didn't stop me setting a few on fire lightly though as I robbed the lot.

My next stop was the mage underground by the docks; I needed to get some Intel on what my less than favourable activities towards the Magic Knights had caused. Apparently I was recognised immediately and welcomed with open arms. I wasn't sure what I had done to deserve this until level of praise until I was brought into a room below and was greeted with what looked like the entire congregation of the Kirkwall Circle, apparently I had killed a lot more Magic Knights than I thought (I had been chucking Burst-Area Fireballs about like they were candy).

I had also blown quite a lot of holes in the wall and thus had been instrumental in the greatest mage escape in Kirkwall's history.

Oops.

Still the few remaining Magic Knights had been the ones off duty that weren't allowed on Night Duty because their morals might lead them to intervene if they caught one of their fellows teaching one of the _freaks_ a lesson so there were at least 30 ish remaining protectors for the 1 remaining mage (not including those with their souls ripped out [Tranquil]). The First Enchanter Orinso had stayed because no one had trusted him enough to tell him that they were breaking out.

Hopefully my actions wouldn't cause a great deal of change in the plot as it would make things harder to predict as the years progressed (provided I was still alive to enjoy my endeavours). The tranquil still around had apparently been assigned to the quarters of the mages that escaped and The First Enchanter of Kirkwall was making sure to move them around constantly (with head-coverings off course) to try and make it look like there were still lots of mages in the Gallows.

Good luck to another incompetent blood mage I say, which on that subject should I try and off the blood mage that was helping 'O' with his research? Oh well other than White lilies I couldn't remember his exact location other than it was under dark-town somewhere, I could leave that till later. After a few more thanks and praises I manage to slip away from the huddle of congratulatory remarks and celebrations to go and acquire a residence for my stay in Kirkwall.

* * *

House shopping was a lot easier than I imagined it would be. For starters there was a lot of space available, apparently all that talk about how full the city is and how little space is available is mostly bullshit as other than the barracks for Templars and Guards (separate from each other of course) the majority of space in Hightown is devoted to people whom are either running gangs or visiting once a year.

I picked out the house right next to the current Slavers mansion (Amell Estate), I could have picked somewhere less strategically sensitive but I wanted this location for three reasons; firstly it would keep the slavers toned down in their activities, secondly it would let me develop a separate relationship with Hawke's group and give Merrill a place to frolic (my garden was huge - I hated the greenery personally, but needs must) and finally if Hawke wasn't a mage then Bethany had a good chance of surviving and thus eventually being forced to the circle.

Well unless hearing the disturbance I came to investigate and out of habit _accidentally_ slaughtered all Magic Knights involved.

Another distraction presented itself after I moved in. My new home was satisfactory enough but I had no readily available food supplies and unlike playing Skyrim 5 it wasn't as easier shopping for groceries and carrying them back up. Apparently the magical technology that lets anyone hold many items in their backpacks did not work on carrying food? Don't know why nor do I care but it was implied that I would need servants to fetch things for me and cook my meals.

Now I like cooking but I've never had to use an age old antique stove before (to me it was an antique to them state-of-the-art) so I had to plan another excursion tracking down a source of gold to pay for my servants to make me food; it didn't take long as I had annoyed a lot of criminal elements in the city (faster than Garrus from ME2), so I was soon counting out my coins after extracting them from the many corpses surrounding me.

I found a selection of female elves in the alienage looking for work (managed to hire Athenril interestingly enough) and while a lot of them looked nervous about the expressively female selection I think they were happy for both work and the lack implied human male attentions, upon arriving at my new estate.

My servants had finished cooking a meal for me by the time I had finished writing up my most recent notes in my Journal, now some of you might be thinking; what happens if someone from the Dragon Age verse discovers my Journal and reads it? Well firstly the most obvious reaction would be thinking I'm some kind of prophet, the second most likely that I'm a Demon manipulating everything to suit my desires (pretty close to the truth) or three (most unlikely) a pre-industrial scientifically based community realising that I'm from another dimension. However all this is mute considering I've been writing this in German, yeah I bet your're amazed you didn't know you were all so good at reading German, it's _amazing_ isn't it?

Still I was just about to enjoy my lovely meal when I realised something rather bad, I hadn't eaten or drunk anything since I got here.

Oh Bugger, I forgot all I'd been doing was to drink Health Poultices or use blood magic to suck up the life energy of my attackers when they got too close to damaging my host. Damn my faulty memory, which had nothing to do with me possessing a body not-my-own but more my deficient genetic template. Which now meant I'd have to either risk consuming the food prepared for me or send all my servants away at meal times and dispose of the food secretly, which I have to day seemed a real waste to me.

Wait Avernus the blood mage from Dragon Age Origins (Wardens Peak) had still been able to consume supplies and sustenance after the Peak had been reclaimed, he'd even joined the Merchants for meals occasionally. This means that unless he was lying and just used blood magic to control them I should be able to do the same. Hesitantly I picked up a fork and bit into the nearest carrot, it seemed perfectly fine. With more enthusiasm I consumed my plate slowly and then nodded appreciatively to my new servants whom several of seemed to sigh with relief.

* * *

Well anyhow let's just say by the time I got to Sundermount I was a tad irritated from all the distractions, thus when I climbed the friggin mountain, killed all the bandits and undead in sight I happily awaited the arrival of the Dalish. I waited for an hour before I got bored and stomped over to their camps main location to find… nothing. Apparently the reason that Hawke had to wait a year before bringing the Horcrux… er I mean _amulet_ to the Dalish is that they (the bloody elves) hadn't actually arrived yet.

If I'd known that I'd have spent my time in Franc – er.. I mean Orlais, where Orlesians live, not _French_ people, perish the thought. I could have helped the blood mage plot succeed in assassinating the Grand Divine. Not waste a few months of my time on a pointless time consuming endeavour! AHHH! This plotting thing is so much _harder_ than it looks in fiction.

-0-


End file.
